Fir, Flame, and Steel
by Yumiko Akki
Summary: Ed and Roy get stuck in a small northern town and end up sharing a room, not to mention a bed and start to realize their true feelings for each other. Plus a mishap on the train and a very "close" moment in Roy's office. rated T may change to M.
1. Chapter 1 Cute?

I do not own anything in this story. i do not own the characters, t

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Chapter 1 – Cute?

"Dammit! I hate that bastard!" Edward slammed the door to Roy Mustang's office loudly "He thinks that just because I'm young he can mess with me. I'm not a kid anymore. I'm fifteen!" he stomped angrily down the hall of Central Headquarters.

"It's not that bad, Big Brother. He's just-"Alphonse was cut off by more shouting.

"Just a bastard!" Edward was fuming.

"I'm not _that_ bad am I?" Edward spun around to see a man with short black hair, his hands in the pockets of his blue military uniform, and a smug smile on his face.

"What, now you're stalking me too?"

"I work here, Fullmetal, I think I have the right to walk through the halls, don't you?"

"Well . . . yeah. I guess. But I still hate you! All I did was give you my report and you just sat there making damn short jokes! I'm still growing you pompous ass!"

"Calm down, Fullmetal Shrimp. I just came to tell you that you have to report in at 8 o' clock for your next mission."

"Ugh. Already? We just got back!" Edward glared at Roy, "Can't you give us a break or at least schedule this for a time that isn't so early?"

"No. Orders are orders. 8 o' clock. Now can you leave? You're disrupting everyone's work." Roy tried his best to sound annoyed, but he actually thought that Ed was cute when he was angry. 'Wait. Did I just call Edward cute?'

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sorry this chapter was so short. I promise the next will be longer. I have already started on the chapter 3 and it is ALOT longer so please forgive me.


	2. Chapter 2 Edward

I do not own anything in this story!! i wish I did (cause then it would be full of yaoi) but I don't. this is purely a fan made story since I love the series so much.

please enjoy. (and please read the after story comments on this chapter. they clarify something at the end of the chapter)

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"I know it's true. I can tell when someone is in love. Just like I love my darling Gracia." Roy sighed as Lieutenant Colonel Maes Hughes argued with him.

"I do NOT like him. I think he is immature and hot-tempered. And he's a guy. An under aged boy. Do you think I'm some sick pervert?!"

"No, but I don't think it makes a difference what gender he is or how old he is. If you love him, then you love him. I know you better than anyone, and I say you should go after him. He might even like you too."

"I'm hanging up now Hughes," Roy hung up on Hughes mid-sentence.

'How could he think I would like him? Like Edward? That's not even possible!' but then Roy remembered something he had thought the day before. 'But I called him cute yesterday. No. I just meant he was cute in a kid kind of way,' but Roy knew he was lying to himself. He had always found Edward physically attractive and he had always had a certain fondness for the boy. The truth was that he did like Edward. A lot. He just didn't quite realize it yet.

Edward trudged drowsily down one of the halls of Central Headquarters. He was instructed to report for his next mission as a state alchemist at 8 o' clock. He reached the office of Colonel Roy Mustang and knocked. "Come in," the voice from within.

"Yeah yeah," Edward replied wearily as he opened the door. He walked into the large office and sat down on one of the comfy couches. "So what's my mission? Just tell me quickly so I can leave," Edward glared at Roy, who was sitting at his desk with a serious look on his face.

"Before that, Fullmetal, I'd like to talk to you."

"What? Has something happened?" Edward was wide awake now. He hadn't heard any new information on the mysterious person who had shown up near Central with a pack of chimeras. They suspected that it was one of the homunculus, most likely Envy who could disguise himself easily.

"Nothing new, but we still have to be careful so you will have an escort on your way north for your next mission."

"What!? No!" Edward stood up quickly, shouting at Roy, "I can take care of myself!" he marched up to Roy's desk to look him straight in the eyes. "I'm not going to have an escort!" There was a quick motion and the sound of papers fluttering to the floor.

Roy had pinned Edward to the desk holding Ed's wrists to the wood firmly. "You're not as strong as you think you are Edward! You need protection." Roy's voice was unnaturally serious.

"I'm strong enough to take care of myself, now get off me! Pervert!" Edward struggled to get free from Roy's grasp.

"Don't be so reckless!! Don't go looking for trouble or you'll get yourself killed!" Edward stayed silent.

'Is he really that worried about me?' Edward – suddenly remembering the position he was in – looked away blushing. "Fine. I'll take the damn escort, just get off me." Roy let go of Ed's wrists and took a few steps back.

"That is all. You are dismissed, Fullmetal. Report in at 10 tomorrow to start heading to Northern Headquarters." Roy sat down at his desk and started rearranging his papers. Edward turned to leave. 'What just happened?' Edward was confused, but somehow happy. 'That was the first time he called me Edward.'

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How did you like it? told you it would be longer. ABOUT THE END OF THIS CHAPTER: i know Roy says Ed's name in the story but he usually calls him "Fullmetal" so i thought it would fit well for the story's progression and show Ed's feelings well. if you want to make a comment about it, just put in your review. 'Cause I always enjoy reviews.

(please tell me if I have any errors to spelling, grammar or story-related stuff)


	3. Chapter 3 Sharing a Room And a Bed

I do not own anything in this fanfiction. That is why it is called fanfiction. it is made by fans and I am a huge fan of FMA so I decided to write this. the only thing

I did was write this story and its storyline. Everything else including the characters do not belong to me.

Random stuff about this fanfic: It is manga-verse although it doesn't really make a difference in this specific fanfic (all my fanfics will be manga-verse if I make more) It takes place before *slight spoiler* Hughes dies because I love him to much to leave him out of the story. (maybe I will write a Roy X Hughes one of these days. Full of fluff since they always seem to be kind of angsty.) now I am just getting off topic. well, I will add more to this if I remember anything or just add it to the next chapter. enjoy! ^_^

(this chapter is longer!! Yay! . . . . like you care)

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Chapter 3 – Sharing a Room . . . . And a Bed

Edward was still brooding over the incident with Roy when he showed up at Central to meet with whoever would be accompanying him to Northern Headquarters. 'Dammit! Why did I have to accept an escort? I could've just fought him off and refused!' but Ed knew exactly why he had agreed. It wasn't because he had been angry or looking for a quick escape. He had just been embarrassed that he didn't mind the position he had been put in. Edward's thoughts were interrupted when he got to the front entrance of Central and the one waiting for him was Roy Mustang himself. "You're my escort?! If there is a god he must really hate me!" Inside Edward was brimming with happiness.

"Yes. Everyone else was busy with other missions Ed." There it was again. Roy had said Ed's name like it was completely normal. Edward blushed, 'Damn. Doesn't he notice that he hasn't called me that before? He's so casual about.'

Roy had noticed. 'I don't think he even realizes that I've started calling him by his name.' they stood in silence for a few minutes. Edward spoke so suddenly that Roy almost jumped. "Dammit! Why do I have to be stuck with you?!"

"That hurts Ed. Can't you act civil while we're on this mission together?"

"Hell no! I hate you! Have I told you you're a bastard yet today?" Roy sighed.

"No. But I think that counts. Eventually you'll get tired of fighting me."

"Yeah. Not gonna happen. I'm going to torture you until you scream for mercy." Ed didn't realize how wrong the sentence sounded until it was too late. They stood in embarrassed silence for almost a minute before Roy broke it. He cleared he throat and said, "Well I guess we should go now," gesturing towards a waiting car on the street in front of them. Roy reached for the handle of the passenger seat door.

"Don't you dare open the door for me like I'm one of your girlfriends!" Ed snapped, glaring. Roy withdrew his hand. "Fine," he walked around to the driver's side "Just get in the car Shorty." Roy was going out of his way to tick Ed off. Teasing Ed was one of the few ways he could keep himself entertained at work, and of course Ed didn't disappoint. He always had colorful responses. "I'm not a bean-sized midget that couldn't reach the door handle by himself!" Yep. Very colorful responses.

"Um . . . yeah. Just get in the car."

. . .

They arrived at the train station after a long and very loud drive. Roy had been making short jokes the whole way there – he always made sure to have a lot of jokes stored up for just such an occasion – and Ed had blown them all out of proportion as usual. He was pretty sure he hadn't called Ed a "Tiny Shrimp that is so small you can only see him with a microscope." Roy stopped when they got to the station. He didn't want to cause a scene. They had gotten a late start on leaving Central so they had to rush to catch their train or they would have to wait three hours for the next one. When they were safely on their way North Roy decided to initiate conversation. "So why is Alphonse not coming with you?"

"Well, my newest automail is resistant but Al's armor would freeze up there in the cold snow."Ed looked unhappy about this.

"You miss him don't you?"

"Well yeah of course I do. He's my brother, but he's a lot safer there and he can take of himself," Ed sounded like he was trying to convince himself, rather than explain to Roy. For awhile they were both silent, staring at the scenery flash by the window. "He'll be fine, really." Roy paused. He wasn't used to saying things like this. "He wouldn't want to worry about him."

"Yeah. I just hope I can get his body back soon. He'd rather be with me freezing his ass off as a human then sitting at home as that empty suit of armor." Ed sunk into depression at the thought is it was all his fault. He could get past the depression, he always did, but it was still unpleasant. Roy stood up from his seat across from Edward to sit next to him, but the train jerked and he fell forward.

"What the-?!" The position they had landed in was awkward to say the least with Edward sprawled on the train seat with Roy over him. Both Roy and Ed were both so surprised that they were completely motionless, staring at each other. Roy's face inched closer to Ed's slowly and Ed was too shocked to move or register what was happening. Their faces were so close that their noses were almost touching. There was a loud voice coming from outside their private cabin that brought them back to their senses. Roy got off Ed and Edward sat up, fixing his untidy hair. They heard the train conductor say, "We are very sorry for the inconvenience, but we seem to be having issues with the train. You can all stay in the nearby town until we fix it. Please gather your belongings and we will lead the way. And please be sure to wear coats, it is very cold out there." Ed and Roy got up, grabbed their bags, and left the cabin in silence.

. . .

Roy and Ed ended up being one of the last to reach the freezing northern town, and had trouble finding a place to stay. "Well I'm afraid we only have one room left. Is that okay?"

"Yes, of course," Roy replied to the kind looking woman at the front desk.

"Then follow me." She led them to their room. "Here you are. I'm sorry but it's a little small." She unlocked the door and handed Roy the key. It was a tiny room with one bed, a night stand, a small dresser, and a door that probably lead to the bathroom. Roy looked around. "Well it looks like we're sharing a room . . . and a bed."

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did you notice it yet? I always name my chapters after the last word or words of the chapter. I always had trouble naming chapters when I wrote stories so I decided to make it like that so it would no long be difficult and sometimes I thought of the chapter names before I finish the chapter so I remember how I want it to end. Doubt you wanted to nwo all that but yeah, now you do anyway. I love wasting valuable brain space.


	4. Chapter 4 Embarrassed Slumber

Hey people. Finally posted the new chapter! This one is **_way_**longer than any of my other chapters so i hope it you will think it was worth the wait. As usual please tell me about any mistakes that i have made and give me constructive criticism. And Thank you for reading.

I do not own ANYTHING in this story. this is purely the work of a crazed fan-girl.

(i'll tell you about the new story i might be writing at the end of the chapter)

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"No way. No fucking way." Ed was livid. "There is no way I'm going to share a bed with you Colonel Bastard!"

"I didn't say that you had to! I told you I would sleep on the floor." Roy- in the calmest voice he could muster- was explaining this for what felt like the millionth time.

"Well _I_ told you that I can't let you do that. You know how much that would hurt my pride? I'm not a girl. That's what your saying isn't it? You're calling me a girl. UGH!! You bastard!! I hate you so much! I'm the one sleeping on the floor whether you like it or not."

"No, you're not." Roy was confident he could win this argument. But he didn't understand why Ed was blowing this so out of proportion.

"Fine then! Have it your way!" Edward clapped his hands together and placed them both on the bed. There was a flash of alchemic power and when it was gone the bed had been split into two halves. "There. Problem solved, now go to bed." Edward got in bed himself and promptly fell asleep. Roy stood, surprised at how quickly Ed had fallen asleep. 'Wow. He can rant like that and then just fall asleep. He must have really been tired.' Roy looked at Ed, with his golden hair – now out of its usual braid – lying delicately around his face. The expression on his face was peaceful and his lips were slightly parted. Roy couldn't help but blush. 'He really is cute when he's asleep.' As Roy watched the small boy sleep he had to resist the sudden urge to see if his hair was as soft as it looked. Roy sat down on the edge of his half-bed and put his head in his hands. 'I'm watching a fifteen year old sleep. What the hell is wrong with me?' But Roy felt like anyone else would have done the same, Ed was just so much calmer like this then he usually was. Although Ed wasn't always as lively as he was around Roy. Ed was for the most part a very calm person as long as you didn't provoke him. And if anyone could get on Edward's bad side it was Roy. 'For once I'd like to do something nice for him,' but a sudden wave of exhaustion washed over him, 'I think I'll until tomorrow though.'

By the time Roy woke up the next day he had forgotten all about his promise to do something nice for Edward.

. . .

"So, what are we supposed to do?" Ed and Roy were sitting at a table in a small café. It was mostly filled with couples but it was warm and close to the hotel. The only problem was that everyone thought they were a couple too.

"Not sure, Ed. Northern Headquarters is pretty far away, and in this weather I doubt we could get there without a train." Roy was working on a second cup of coffee and Ed was drinking a steaming hot cup of tea.

"Well I should call Al at least. I told him I would when I got to North and he must be worried by now."

"Yes. You should go do that." Roy sounded distant. 'I have some of my own problems to think about.'

Ed found a phone booth across the road from the café that was nearly frozen shut. After he finally managed to break the ice and get in he picked up the phone and dialed the number for the hotel him and Al usually stayed at when they were in Central. "Hello?"

"Hey Al, it's me. I –"

"Brother! What happened? I heard that the train broke down. Are you okay?"

"Yeah, yeah I'm fine. Calm down. Sorry I worried you. This kinda sucks though."

"But it's not _all_ bad, right Brother?" The tone of Al's voice sounded strange.

"What do you mean? I'm stuck in this cold, nearly abandoned town. And the worst part is I have to be stuck here with that damn Mustang."

"Exactly!" Alphonse sounded exasperated.

"Huh?" 'What is he talking about?'

"Come on Brother, I know you. You can tell me the truth."

"Seriously I have no idea what you're talking about, Al. Would you like to explain yourself a little better?"

"You like him don't you?" It wasn't really a question.

"Like who?" Ed had already realized who Al was talking about but he thought it was better to pretend not to know.

"Roy. Who else would I be talking about? You sure are slow sometimes Brother." Ed had been right about who Al was talking about but he didn't think he was actually going to say it out loud.

"Who told you -? Who said I -? You're wrong." A pink blush was beginning to show on Edward's face and he was glad the he wasn't talking to Al in person.

"No I'm not." Alphonse sounded very confident that he was right, "I can tell when you like someone. I _am_ your brother after all."

"Are you insane? Or on some sort of drugs? Do you even know realize who you're talking about? Who you're talking _to_?"

"Um. Let's see. No, no, Roy Mustang, and you. Am I done answering questions now? Why exactly is it so impossible?"

"Jeez. So sarcastic today Al. But do you really want me to list the reasons why?" He didn't wait for an answer. "Well for one we're both guys." Ed was speaking very quickly. "Two – he's twenty-nine. That's fourteen year age difference." Ed's voice sounded more depressed with every word he spoke. "And third – we're both in the military. It would only lead to trouble." Ed's voice was shaking by the end. "How could he like me anyway? He really . . . never – never would." His voice cracked and the tears started flowing before he even knew what was happening.

"Brother. . ." Al couldn't think of anything to say.

. . .

"So where did your boyfriend run off to?"

"Boyfriend?! What are you talking about?" Roy had been waiting for ten minutes while Ed was on the phone. One of the waitresses had just gotten off of her shift and had decided to keep him company.

"The little blond one of course. You guys look so cute together."

Roy immediately objected. "We aren't dating we just work together. Honestly."

"But you like him don't you? I can tell by the way you look at him," she had a kind, sincere smile.

"Hm. Do I?" He said this more to himself than anyone. 'Do I really look at him any different than anyone else? Do I really like him?'

"I don't know. You tell me. Do you like him?" Her eyes were questioning but very trusting. He wasn't sure why she was so interested in this but Roy felt he could talk to this stranger.

"Well, I'm not sure how I feel about him but I'm sure he will never be my boyfriend. It just can't happen." He could hear sadness in his own voice which surprised him.

"And why can't it happen?"

"Because he doesn't feel the same, there's no way he does. He hates me. I know it." He was confused as to why these words made him feel so depressed. There was no way he could like the Fullmetal Brat. Absolutely not. He was straight, and he always had been. It was only because he had been in such close proximity with Edward recently. Roy shook his head to clear his head. Edward chose this time to come back. He seemed a little less energetic than he had been before and Roy wondered if something had happened. "What's up with you Fullmetal? Did something happen with your brother?"

"No. Nothing." But something still seemed off about Ed's mood. He wasn't looking Roy in the face while he spoke but looking at the wall over his shoulder. Roy thought it was best not to ask any questions at the moment.

"Okay." He turned to address the waitress, "Well, I think we'll be leaving now. Thank you."

"Anytime Dear."

Roy and Ed didn't speak until they were out of the café and had gotten to their hotel. When the receptionist saw them her expression turned to one of annoyance and anger. Ed was the first to notice. "Why does she look so pissed off?"

"What are you talking about?" Roy started walking past the front desk but stopped when his name was called.

"Excuse me, Mr. Mustang, Mr. Elric. May I have a word with you?" It was the receptionist who sounded like she was speaking through clenched teeth.

"Yes?" Roy used his most charming voice but it didn't seem to help much.

"When a maid went to clean your room do you know what she saw?" It was the kind of question you knew they already knew the answer to and weren't looking for an answer to. Roy suddenly remembered something.

'Oh, shit. Did Ed remember to transmute that bed back to normal?' Just as Roy expected, the receptionist continued without waiting for an answer.

"She found your bed split in two. Would you like to explain that?" He had a grimace on her face that showed she was trying not to shout.

'That would be a no. That moron.' "Um, yeah, about that. We'll get that fixed right away. Won't we Edward?" On the last word he turned to glare at Ed. Instead of looking guilty Ed was grinning.

"Yeah. Sorry about that." Ed, sounding completely insincere, was trying to hold back his laughter as he spoke. After such a depressing conversation on the phone, the murderous look on Roy's face, far from looking intimidating, was actually pretty funny. "What?" Roy had been looking at him like he had gone insane.

"Nothing." They walked upstairs with Roy muttering something about personality disorders the whole way. When they reached their room Ed burst out laughing.

"That was so damn funny! Did you see the look on her face?" Ed's laughter was almost contagious and Roy couldn't help but laugh too.

"It was all your fault anyway. You forgot to fix the stupid bed in the first place."

"Guess you're right. I _should_ fix it shouldn't I?" Edward didn't look at all guilty for causing all this.

"Why? You can just fix in the morning before we leave like you were supposed to yesterday."

"No. She'll probably come in here in the middle of the night and kill us if I don't fix it now," Ed said in a half joking half serious voice. He shuddered at the thought and put the bed in its normal state with a flash of blue light. Ed hopped into bed, took his hair out of its braid, and looked at Roy for a minute. "Well, are you going to bed or not?" Roy blushed and mumbled a yes. Seems like they really were going to share a bed this time, and that thought made them both blush until they fill into an embarrassed slumber.

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About my possible new story: I for some strange reason starting having FMA related dreams a few days back and one of them interested me a lot. It was about Greed. I don't want to give anything away just in case i write the story but i will say that if I do write it it will be a romance and he will be paired with an OC (of which i have not created yet). But i think it will be nice. Kinda shows him evolving (that word reminds me of pokemon) as a person and becoming more of a nice person. (kinda) I will also have to reread some of my FMA books to find out more about his personality. And read some Greed fanfics too. Sorry for rambling about vague could-be's but I just wanted you all to know.


	5. Chapter 5 Completely, Stunningly Hot

Sorry that it took so long to post this chapter. My editor was taking forever to edit this chapter *Cough*Laurin*Cough* But yeah, as usual please notify me of any spelling or grammar errors. Plese enjoy this chapter. (I think it's a good one)

And I might be posting new Roy X Ed stories soon (or not so soon) because me and my friends compiled a list of 30+ ideas for Roy X Ed stories with varying lengths, ratings, and genres. (in the process of writing 2 of them)

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Chapter 5- Completely, Stunningly Hot

Roy woke to find a familiar face close to his. Too close. Seemingly in his sleep Ed had managed to get closer to and get his arms around a certain unsuspecting Colonel. "Hey Ed, time to get up," Roy mumbled sleepily trying to gently push the small boy off him.

"No. Don't wanna get up, Al." Ed sounded like he was still mostly asleep, which he obviously was if he thought he was talking to his brother. Roy's more devious side took over then and he smirked. Teasing Ed was always fun and if he was asleep Ed probably wouldn't remember it later to yell at him for it.

"Hey Ed," He said in a smooth, gentle voice, making sure not to wake Ed up entirely.

"Yeah?" Ed's voice was low. A mumble that was barely understandable. Roy knew that when people were asleep they had a lot less control over what they revealed. He also knew that he could use this as an opportunity to get some embarrassing info on Ed. It was juvenile and immature. Completely different from anything he would usually do. He teased Ed a lot when he came to give reports but he did anything this childish. Roy quickly tried to think of a question and remembered how Ed had looked after his talk with Al. He asked the question before he even knew what he was doing.

"What were you talking about on the phone yesterday?" Roy felt bad for prying into Ed's business. He hadn't meant to ask something so private. IT had just slipped out.

"I…was talking about…about…" Ed seemed to be falling back into complete sleep.

"Yes?" Roy questioned impatiently.

"Talking about the Colonel." Roy's breathe halted for a second. 'About me? What was he saying about me?' Roy knew he had to find out and the fact that he did showed just how obsessed with Edward he had become. He looked out the window. The sun was barely rising and Roy knew he'd have to wait to put his plans into action but he thought he's talk a walk to pass the time.

. . .

The brightness of the sun woke Ed in to morning and he saw it was already well into the day. Ed looked around the surprisingly empty room and wondered why Roy wasn't there. Ed was a little upset that hadn't woken up first and gotten a chance to see Roy sleep. "Wait! That's not something I should be thinking!" He shook his head to clear it and hoped nobody had heard him shouting.

After Ed had gotten dressed and eaten breakfast at the small café sown the street he went back to the hotel. He thought that while he was here he might as well work on his research. He always brought a couple of books on alchemy with him when he went on long trips.

Ed sat staring at the first page of his book for ten minutes before he finally gave up and leaned back in his chair until the front two legs were off the floor. 'This is all his fault. I never have problems concentrating.' He tried once more to read but never got past "Alchemy is the science of equivalent exchange" before he got distracted by the image of Roy's face. "Ugh!" Ed groaned and he lost his balance on the already unstable chair, hitting the ground with a painful "thump". Ed got up and stomped out the door of his room. "I'm gonna find that Bastard and when I do…"

. . .

Roy's plan was simple. He'd call Ed's brother and ask about what they had been talking about with the pretense of being worried about Ed's mood after the conversation. Then he would confront Ed and, well he didn't quite know what would happen after that. That part was up to Ed.

Roy knew the number to Ed's brother so getting it wasn't going to have to be a problem. He was a good actor, his required it. Sucking up to his superiors, pretending to be a loyal dog of the military. He was sure he could pull this off. If he could fool the military then he could fool a fourteen year old boy.

Roy took a detour when finding a phone so Ed wouldn't have a chance of seeing him. Edward was smart so giving him any reason to be suspicious would be a bad idea. After managing to find a phone outside of a restaurant on the other side of town from the hotel he dialed Alphonse's number.

"Ed? Is that you? Why are you calling again? Did something else happen?" Alphonse bombarded him with quick questions.

"No," Roy spoke up, "This isn't Edward." He said loudly over the continued steam of questions.

"Colonel? Why are you calling?" Alphonse asked, surprised at the voice that he heard.

"Well," Roy knew that this is when he had to start being careful. "It's about Edward."

"About Big Brother? What about him? Nothing interesting has happened right?" Alphonse's quick speech was as good as a conformation to Roy but he still had to keep the conversation going. It would be too suspicious to end it now.

"No. Nothing has happened. I'm just worried about him. He seemed quite upset after his conversation with you yesterday. He's been acting strange and I wanted to know if anything had happened. It's okay if you can't tell. I'm probably prying into business that isn't mine to know but I'm just a little paranoid I guess." Roy was careful about how he worded everything. If he slipped up and it gave away his motives he would be in trouble

"So you're _worried_ about Ed?" Alphonse replied with an emphasis on "worried that suggested that knew had seen through Roy's façade.

'The Elric brothers are just too smart for their own good.' "Yes. So may I ask what happened?" Roy questioned in his professional "work voice".

"Roy, I'm going to be blunt with you and just ask. Do you have feelings for Ed?" Al's voice was serious and hard but not accusing and his question took Roy by surprise.

"Wha-what kind of question is that?"

"It's just a question. If the answer is no then you need to stop messing with Ed's feelings. And don't tell me that you aren't. Do you know what you're-?"Roy cut him off mid-sentence during his suddenly harsh rant.

"Yes." Roy's sudden declaration took Al off guard.

"Wait what?"

"Yes," Roy repeated matter-of-factly. "I do." Although he hadn't intended to reveal the truth like this Roy felt good about saying it out loud.

"Oh, well, in that case… um," Alphonse stuttered and struggled to find a way to respond. Roy spoke to save Alphonse from having to think of a response.

"I don't think I need my question answered anymore do I? I should go, Fullmetal should be awake by now and I want to get out of this damn town."

"I suspect I'll be talking to Big Brother again soon?" Roy knew what Alphonse meant by that.

"Perhaps you will. 'I need to have a conversation with Ed for myself first.' Roy hung up the phone and made the long, cold walk to the hotel.

Roy returned to the hotel room to find it empty. 'Ugh. I get the feeling that Ed is getting himself into trouble. I'm not looking forward to cleaning up his messes.' Roy didn't want to think about it. He didn't want to think about any of the things in his life. Like the fact that he had just told somebody that he was in love with his very underage brother. Roy decided he needed to clear his mind and take a shower. 'Finally I'll be able to relax.'

. . .

Ed searched all over town for Roy even asking in some of the shops and restaurants if they had seen him. The only place he had any luck was in a small bar clear across town. A woman inside the bar said she had seen Roy on the phone just outside. "I wish he had come in for a drink. He was so cute." 'Why would she be drinking so early in the morning anyway?'Ed thought with malice. She seemed to be completely infatuated with him just like every other girl he met and it made Ed jealous. 'But I have no right to be jealous. I have no possession over him. I shouldn't be feeling anything about him anyway." Before the girl could go on for any longer about how much she liked Roy's "beautiful black hair" Ed said goodbye and quickly left the bar, no matter how much he agreed with her on Roy's hair. 'Dammit! Why the hell would he be on a phone all the way across town when there's one near the hotel? And where the hell did he disappear to? I'll go back to the hotel and see if that gives me any hints as to where he might be.'

Ed rushed to the hotel and got there faster then he thought he would. Before he could get to the stairs to his hotel room he heard a voice behind him. "Hey, Shorty. We better not find any more broken furniture in your room." At the word "shorty" Edward snapped.

"What did you just call me?"

. . .

At some point while Roy relaxed in the shower he thought he heard Ed's voice from below in the lobby, and hit sounded like he was shouting. 'It's probably my imagination. That Fullmetal, he's really starting to get to me.' Roy decided that the shower wasn't helping much anymore and got out, grabbed a towel and headed back to the main room. When he got there he saw Ed walk in the door and stop dead in his tracks staring at him.

. . .

When Ed started heading upstairs to his hotel room he was fuming. Once again he had been lectured about "respecting other's property" but they hadn't gotten very far. They had said the forbidden word and for that Ed found he had the right to beat the shit out of them. He had held his anger in enough not to do so, but he did make sure they would get what they deserved later before stomping upstairs while they were still ranting on. Ed practically kicked the door to his room open and stormed in. He didn't get very far before he stopped. There right before his eyes was Roy in nothing byt a towel, perfect hair and body still wet, and completely, stunningly hot.

* * *

So what did you think? If you enjoyed please leave a review (it you want to) I live off your reviews. They are my creativity fuel and they make me happy. thank you so much to all who have read or reviewed. You guys are amazing and I never knew anybody would read this story. thanks for proving me wrong.


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